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8.31.2011

Live, Laugh, Love #2- Plus Sponsor Info

Live:

President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:

“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.

“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …

“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”

***Concerning sponsors:If you would like to sponsor Gentri Lee- here's the dealio. I'm not quite ready to delve completely into it yet. So I thought I'd start slowly. If you are interested in being a future sponsor of Gentri Lee (other bloggers and Etsy shop owners only. Or similar to Etsy shops) send me an email and the code to your button (or if you have any questions), because I'm offering FREE sponsorship for the month of September. At the end of the month if you feel you had a good amount of traffic coming from "Gentri Lee", or if you just really like me- you can become an official sponsor starting in October.The sponsor buttons will be appearing right under my "welcome" picture/description so they get optimum space. When official sponsoring starts it will include a group feature and the chance for some other exposure.Thank you to my awesome readers! Seriously, you guys are the best!P.S. I guess GFC has officially changed me from Gentri Lee to "Jessie Ann"... GAH! So no worries, I still follow you, I'm just not me anymore apparently. Why is this happening??

I love that first story! And your laugh thing is sooo true! Also, lions are GORGEOUS! And finally, I would love to sponsor your blog for a month! First I need to figure out how to make a button though. :)

I'm a twenty-something year old who usually acts like I'm eighty or five. I'm a stylist, makeup artist, and master aesthetician who lives for adventure and loves road trips, wild flowers, the color taupe, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.